Winter in Russia
by Silverish-WhiteOtter
Summary: Winters in Russia tend to be cold. Megan had begun to notice something a lot colder than the winters this country could have. She's supposed to help with the final round of the world championships, but, it seems, life has something bigger in store for her. Will she survive her encounters with the Demolition Boys? Not even Megan knows that herself ...
1. Welcome to Moscow, Russia

**A/N**: -stares at her last updates on _all_ her fan fiction stories- So, 2014? That was the year I …. Started working for Wally World. It was also the year I graduated college. It's been 5 years everybody. How have you all been? I've been doing pretty good myself. It's not I have _forgotten_ my characters. I adore all of them. Beyblade has always been a huge part of my life. So, I've decided to, uh, finally write _Winter in Russia_.

* * *

_Welcome to Moscow, Russia_

The sound of wheels on a suitcase squeaked across the tiled floor of the Moscow Airport. Megan hadn't realized the severity of appearing in Russia, in the middle of winter, would have on her plane's landing. The teenage girl was as pale as a ghost as she looked around the airport for the familiar face of the old man who had gotten her into this mess in the first place. She moved stray bangs from her eyes before spotting Mr. Dickinson waiting for her at the entrance of the airport. She walked over to him before pausing in front of the chairman of the BBA. The man smiled at her before bowing his head to the teenager in thanks and welcome. Megan smiled softly at him before placing her suitcase straight at her side.

"I trust the flight to Moscow was a good one?" he questioned her.

"Oh, the flight was fine," she answered. "Until we landed in a near _whiteout_. Apparently, pilots have no qualms with landing without being able to see 100%."

Mr. Dickinson laughed at her words before he turned to walk out of the building with the girl following behind him with a sigh. Her suitcase squeaked across the floor before the sound muffled with the fresh fallen snow. Megan made a noise as she saw the limousine that waited for them at the end of the stairs. She began her descent down the stairs before pausing at the vehicle. It seemed strange to her that there would be a limousine waiting for them. She stared at Mr. Dickinson in confusion. He arrived at her high school in a limo.

"Your host seemed to believe that a limousine had been in order to take you to him," laughed Mr. Dickinson. "Who am I to say no?"

"It wasn't needed," she muttered before opening the door to get into the vehicle. "I don't even have to leave my suitcase in the trunk."

Mr. Dickinson moved to sit across from her after he closed the door. The car started to move once they were settled into the vehicle. Megan made a noise before staring out the window. Moscow was beautiful with all the glistening snow on the trees and ground. She glanced at the old man next to her before propping her head onto her chin. He looked as if he had something to say to her. Well, he better say it now before they arrived at their destination.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked her.

"To help with the preparations for the final round of the Beyblade World Championships?" she answered with a question of her own. "We've discussed this when you asked me in school, Mr. D."

She remembered the day he had asked her to help with the final round. Her team, Dark Shadow, finished their season on the American high school circuit as the top team. The team seemed to place within the top a lot when she had taken over as captain. Mr. Dickinson asked if she wished to participate by helping him make sure the final round ran smoothly for the watching crowd. She remembered her team's words when she had thought about declining his proposal.

_"Megan, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. Why would you even _think _of declining such an offer?"_

_"Listen, you're going to Moscow. You're going to bring me home a souvenir. You're _

going_ to enjoy yourself."_

The Dark Shadow captain had no choice but to agree after their words of opened her eyes after a few minutes before watching the chairman of the BBA once again. She sighed before speaking, "Why are you bringing it up again?"

"I have another task for you as well," he said to her. "An important task."

Megan stared at him with one eyebrow raised before she looked out the window as the vehicle had stopped. She stared at the building in front of her. An abbey? She had read the name on the plague mounted on one of the entrance pillars. What a strange place for them to be? She shook her head before getting out of the vehicle after Mr. Dickinson. She straightened her winter hat before following him into the building's front yard. She squinted at all the kids who were practicing their Beyblade launches. Strange.

"Um," she muttered. "What is this place?"

A voice appeared behind them as she managed a squeak and a jump. The girl turned to face the person the voice belonged.

"It's a training facility for the best of the best," the man said with a grin. "I'm Boris. I welcome you to my humble Abbey." He bowed to them. "You must be the beyblader Mr. Dickinson had chosen to help with the preparations of the final round of the World Championship. It's an honor to meet you."

Mr. Dickinson chuckled as he nodded to Boris. "Thank you for the welcome, Boris. I'd like you to meet Megan Schatten. The captain of Dark Shadow. The reigning American high school circuit beyblade team."

"It's a pleasure," she said to him with a bow of her head. "I am surprised yet gracious of Mr. Dickinson's proposal to me." She wasn't sure of what else she was to say to the man. To be honest, she didn't like the feeling she got from him. Not to mention, in the corner of her mind, a beast growled in nervous fury. When Shadow was in such a mood, Megan had to be wary of the people around her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Schatten," Boris said to her. He stood straight before straightening his jacket. "Why don't the both of you come inside to warm from the chilly Russian air? I'm sure you're not used to the cold."

Megan snorted, "Oh please. I live in Pennsylvania. Russia may be cold, but I'm sure you don't see all four seasons in one day."

Boris laughed before nodding. "Of course! I heard some of the weather in the United States could be something else."

He gestured for them to follow him into the building. Megan followed as she looked around the building. It didn't seem out of the ordinary. It looked like an average training facility - except the beybladers practicing their launches in the cold. She made a noise as she tripped over a stray pebble that seemed to want revenge on her despite her not doing anything to _any _pebble. She closed her eyes before opening them. Why hadn't she met cold stone? Her head tilted a bit to see the arm that had wrapped around her waist to catch her. She made a noise as the person, who had caught her, pulled their arm to straightened the girl to keep her from falling. She kicked the pebble in irritated anger.

"Ah, thank goodness you caught her Tala," came Boris' voice. "We didn't need our guest to be injured."

Tala? She scrunched her nose a bit. Why did that name seem familiar to her? She turned to look at her savior. Green eyes met blue before making made a noise and fell onto the floor anyway. Tala raised an eyebrow at her before grunting and walking past the girl to head into a room. She stared at the spot he once stood before staring at the path he had walked. So, he _catches_ her to keep her from falling - but when she _does _fall, he didn't bother to help her up?!

"Rude," she muttered before standing on her own.

"Are you okay, Megan?" asked Mr. Dickinson with a bit of worry in his tone. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Megan shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I'm not hurt, Mr. D. Promise." She gave him a small, bright smile as she finished brushing the dust and dirt off her clothes. "Anyway, who was that?" She didn't appreciate being touched by a stranger despite them saving her nose from potentially being broken.

"Of course, of course," Mr. Dickinson said with a laugh. "The person who saved you from a nasty fall was none other than Tala Valkov the captain of The Demolition Boys."

Megan stared at him for a few seconds before making a small noise it the back of her throat. She had met the captain of the current World Beyblade champions. No, she had almost _embarrassed_ herself in front of the captain of the current World Beyblade champions. She ran a hand through her as she realized she had lost her hat. The beyblader looked around before spotting her winter cap before placing it in the pocket of her jacket. She didn't need it while inside the building.

"Why are we here?" she asked Boris and Mr. Dickinson. "I thought I was supposed to help with the preparations of the final round."

"Of course!" Mr. Dickinson said. "The current World champions are supposed to make sure the final destination and round of the tournament goes smooth, so I thought I'd bring in somebody who could benefit from seeing how such a tournament in run …"

Megan held a hand up in front of his face to stop him from talking. She stared at him before shaking her head, "Wait, wait, wait - wait - you're telling me I'm supposed to work with … _The Demolition Boys_?"

Mr. Dickinson nodded. "Precisely! Isn't it exciting? In fact, we're here so I can introduce you to them."

Megan's eyes flickered to the walls, the ceiling and elsewhere before she settled on the tops of her shoes. She had not been told all these details when she agreed to Mr. Dickinson's prospal. Not to mention, despite him catching her, Tala had not said _one _word to her. Not to mention, he didn't help her up after she had fallen in surprise. She hadn't realized how close he was to her until she turned to thank him for catching her. Boris cleared his throat to gain her attention. She turned her gaze toward the man. He beckoned her over before opening the door to the room Tala had walked into a few minutes prior.

"They are a top tier beyblade team," he said to her. "But, I assure you, they don't bite."

He gestured for her to walk inside the room. Megan took a deep breath, placed her hand at her beyblade holster in an almost comforting motion before deciding to take a step into the room. She didn't know these boys on a personal level. She wasn't sure how they would react to her. She didn't know how she would react to them. The girl swallowed the lump in her throat as she found herself staring at those cold, blue eyes once more. Oh, great, she had managed to lock eyes with Tala not once but _twice_ in the same day.

… Swimming.

* * *

**A/N**: Well, I'm not sure what anybody says on these anymore. But, the first chapter is roughly 2k words. I am planning on the majority of the chapters to be 2k or larger. I want to explore all relationships surrounding Megan. I want to go in depth of everything that happens to her while she tries to help Mr. Dickinson with his plans (for smaller and larger).


	2. Why Me?

**A/N**: I figured I'd treat all of you to chapter 2 tonight as well. The next chapter is going to be the battle between Ian and Megan. The two battles I've always planned for were the one between Ian and Megan (to show off Shadow) and the battle between Tala and Megan near the end after Tala had his 'tweak' with Boris before the final round with all the teams. So ... I hope I'll be able to upload Chapter 3 sometime tomorrow after work.

* * *

_Why Me?_

Megan stared at the four boys who sat across from her at the table. She sat beside Mr. Dickinson - at least she had one comfort in the room. The old man gave off an aura of calm and grandfather-like emotions. She looked over all the boys in the room before staring at Ian. His nose was a bit off-putting, but she wasn't focused on that aspect of the boy. No, she was contemplating his height. She topped at 5'1"; however, he seemed to be shorter than her. The girl hid her mouth behind her hand before whispering, "Shrimp."

Ian's eye twitched as he seemed to hear her mumble. Megan found out how sensitive he was about his height as his hands slammed onto the table. His eyes held fire behind them as he spoke to her, "What did you say?!"

The girl stared at him before removing her hand from her mouth. "I was wondering how it felt to call somebody a shrimp. It had always been my nickname, so I thought it would be fun to try it on somebody else."

Ian fumed at her, but he didn't say much else as a glare from Tala seemed to silence him. He sat in his seat before making a noise of irritation. Bryan stared at him before snickering a bit.

"It's not her fault that you _are _a shrimp, Ian."

Ian glared at him going to open his mouth to retort when Boris cleared his throat. He would not tolerate them acting like children in the presence of somebody of importance such as Mr. Dickinson. They quieted before staring at their guests once again. Mr. Dickinson rose from his seat before he clapped his hands in a fond gesture.

"Now, why don't we have a small introduction?" he asked them. "Though, I doubt you will have to introduce yourselves to Megan."

"No, they do not," she said. "I know who they are."

Everybody knew who the Demolition Boys were - it wasn't as if they were the reigning champs from the previous _two _Beyblade World Championships. Mr. Dickinson nodded. "Then, I'd like to introduce your chosen help for this year's championships. This here is Megan Schatten. She's the captain of the current American high school title holders. I figured all of you could learn something from each other."

Megan was starting to wonder why he only invited her and not her teammates as well. Wouldn't it be a bit more efficient if he brought the whole team to help prepare for the final round? She shook her head to bring herself back to the current conversation. Right. She was being introduced to the Demolition Boys.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said. "And, thank you, Tala, for catching me in the hallway. It would have been a nasty fall for my nose." She rubbed it as a phantom pain appeared. It would have hurt. She paused as she didn't hear a reply to her thanks. She made a noise before giving him a dark look. Of course he wouldn't give a 'your welcome' to her. Why would he do such a thing? Boris said they wouldn't bite, but, golly, they did _sting_.

"Anyway," Mr. Dickinson continued. "We have agreed she would stay with you for the time being, correct, Boris?"

Boris nodded. "Yes. I shall allow her to use one of the empty rooms for the duration of her stay."

"Wait, wait," Megan said as she stood from her chair. "I had no inclination of me staying _here_."

"You are to help my team with the preparations for the final round of the World Championships," Boris spoke. "It would make sense you would stay here to speak with them about it."

She stared at Boris with a look of disbelief. They expected her to stay in this abbey without her consent. She went to open her mouth before closing it. No, she shouldn't be surprised. It would seem Mr. Dickinson hadn't given her all the details of this trip anyhow. She sat down before pouting a bit. Nobody seemed to care how she was feeling at the moment - not at all.

"Fine," she said with a sigh as she gave in. "But, it doesn't mean I have to like staying here."

"Believe us," spoke Tala for the first time. "We're not going to like you staying here either. Do us a favor and _don't _get in our way."

Megan's nails dug into her own skin as she bit her lip from making a retort at the captain of the team before her. He had no right to agree with her and say the things he said at that moment. She snarled a bit before taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Good," she replied after a bit of thought. "I'm glad we're on the same page." She stood from her chair before grabbing the handle to her suitcase. She stared at Boris. "Where's my room for the next two weeks?"

Boris nodded to her as he opened the door for the girl, "Of course. Follow me."

She followed him out of the room to find her room. Megan would have to remember to memorize the way to the room so she wouldn't get lost. The abbey was huge, and she didn't want to lose her way in the building. Her suitcase squeaked through the hallway before the sound disappeared as she turned the corner following the man to her room. Tala sighed before turning to Mr. Dickinson. He gave the man a glare.

"We don't need help preparing," he said to him. "Bringing her here was pointless."

Mr. Dickinson smiled at Tala before speaking, "I believe this will help Megan decide if she wishes to become a pro beyblader or if she wishes to stop competing once she graduates high school. Please, Tala, don't push her in that direction. She's a phenomenal beyblader. Give her a chance to help you with the tournament final."

Tala grunted as he heard Mr. Dickinson before watching the man stand up then leave the room. He, more than likely, was leaving to head to the BBA headquarters that is located in Moscow. He placed his head on his head before staring out the open door to the empty hallway. Bryan whistled before he placed his hands behind his head and leaned against the chair.

"Guess we'll have a guest with us this time around," he said as he stared at the ceiling. "Doesn't seem too bad. Anybody who's willing to call Ian a shrimp is good in my book."

Ian kicked his leg causing Bryan to yelp and fall backwards on the chair. He glared at the midget before growling a bit. "Do you want a repeat of when I viciously beat you in our last Beyblade battle, _shrimp_?"

Boris reappeared into the room before giving them all a look of disappointment and anger. The boys winced before they looked away from them. Spencer sighed before he spoke, "This is why we're told to behave and not act like children."

"It was only Ian and Bryan who seem to have an issue with listening to such an order," Tala muttered.

"Your words to our guest were uncalled for as well, Tala," Boris explained. "She is to be treated _like _a guest. Is that understood? She will help you prepare the for the finals of the tournament. You do not have to be friends with her by any means. All you have to do is tolerate her."

Ian made a noise. "_Tolerate _her? Have you seen the way she spoke to me? She called me a shrimp!"

"It's because you _are _a shrimp," countered Bryan. "Why don't you admit it already, Ian?"

Spencer stood between them before picking Ian's chair up, with him on it, before sitting it where his chair once was to keep Ian and Bryan away from each other. It would seem that being their barrier was the only way to make them behave. He nodded to his own plan of action before looking at Boris as he cleared his throat. The man had been grinning for a few minutes now.

"Now, now, I didn't say we couldn't have some fun with her."

The boys perked at his words. What kind of fun could Boris be talking about at the moment?

"You heard Mr. Dickinson," he explained. "She's the captain of the American High School circuit's _top _team. Which means she has some skill. You should test her strength."

Ian grinned before throwing his hand into the air. "I volunteer! I volunteer 100%. I want to put her in her place right here, right _now_."

Tala waved his hand at Ian. "It's not a bad idea. You should be plenty enough to handle a high school circuit blader." He was curious about her strength as well now that Boris reminded me what Mr. Dickinson had said about her. He hummed before standing. "Do you wish for me to invite her to one of the arenas in the training room?" He stared at Boris as he waited for an answer.

Boris nodded before answering him, "Yes. Do invite her to the training room, Tala." He left soon after to begin to record the battle to gather data about the girl Mr. Dickinson had decided upon to watch and help them.

* * *

Tala stared at the door that was the entrance to Megan's room. Did she have any reason to accept his invitation to the training room? They weren't on the best terms after their first impressions of each other. He knocked on the door either way. Boris wanted her to battle Ian, so he would carry her there kicking and screaming if he had too.

"Go away," came the reply of the rather grumpy girl as she opened the door only to slam it in his face. "I don't want to talk to you - not until I have to anyway."

Tala sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Boris has invited you to battle within one of the areas in the training room. He wants to test your strength as you are also a beyblader."

Megan opened the door to stare at him. "Why would he want to test _my _strength? I'm not going to be battling anybody during my stay here."

"Oh, but you are," Tala said a smirk beginning to appear on his face. "In fact, right here, in a few minutes, you'll be battling somebody."

"I refuse," Megan snarled as she went to close the door on him.

Tala swung his arm out to catch the closing door before he placed his foot in the doorway to keep it open. Why did she have to be so stubborn? He forced the door open before staring at her. She stared at him with fury in her expression. She was not going to go to battle for Boris' own amusement.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm going to battle somebody for Boris' own amusement," she muttered as she walked with Tala to the training room.

Tala watched her as she crossed her arms as they walked. Her pout indicated she was acting like a child who had their toy taken away from them. He chuckled a bit before going to turn the corner that lead to the door to the training room. Megan went to follow before she made a noise as a rogue beyblade flew past her feet. Her arms flailed outward to catch herself. She grunted as her fall was stopped quick as Tala managed to grab her arm to keep her from falling completely. He pulled to level her causing the girl to crash into him instead. He wrapped her arms around her to steady both of them least he ended up on the floor rather than her.

"Listen," he said. "You _really _need to stop falling."

Megan huffed as she moved to untangle herself from him. "It's not as if I ask for things to appear in my way to fall. I'm the definition of _graceful_." She moved to open the door to the training room before blinking. Why were there so many people in the room? Why were they all waiting for something to happen?

"Why am I going to have an audience?" she asked Tala as she turned to him.

He shrugged. "We're a training facility. Therefore, they will watch to learn."

Megan glared at him before heading to the specific arena everybody was standing around and watching. She stared at them before noticing Ian across the stadium. She pulled her lip back in a snarl.

"Oh, so, this is a joke, right? I'm not _seriously_ going to fight you - a professional beyblader."

Ian placed his beyblade in his launcher before getting ready to launch it into the stadium. He smirked at her.

"We never joke."

Why me? was all the girl thought as she prepared her beyblade for launch as she connected the parts to her launcher. Why me against Ian?

_Why me?_


End file.
